


Underbound

by Awesome_Fangirl33



Series: Trapped and Bound With No Light in Sight [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU, And neither do the humans, Female Frisk (Undertale), Gen, It's a royal mess, My AU, My Own AU, POV Frisk (Undertale), The monsters don't know the key to exiting the Underground, Underbound, for the most part anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesome_Fangirl33/pseuds/Awesome_Fangirl33
Summary: One way in. no way out. A demonstration of cruelty was made and, sometimes, you have to learn to live with it.[Or, in which the humans trap the monsters in the Underground and lose the key. Forever.]AU [Underbound]
Relationships: Frisk & Sans (Undertale), Frisk (Undertale) & Everyone, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: Trapped and Bound With No Light in Sight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888783
Comments: 18
Kudos: 9





	1. CH. 00

**Author's Note:**

> Hey and welcome to UNDERBOUND! This was an AU I made in order to work the events and circumstances in which 'The Judgement Hall' takes place in into a cohesive, comprehensive story! I hope you like cuz it's gonna be a loooong ride!

*Long ago, two races ruled over Earth.

*HUMANS and MONSTERS.

*One day, after centuries of envy and fear, war broke out between the two races.

*Spell after spell, slice after slice, the war was fought valiantly by both sides.

*Finally, after a long grueling battle, the humans won.

*They sealed the monsters Underground with a magic spell.

*Many years later…

*The secret to breaking the spell is long lost now, even to the humans.

*And the monsters? Well…

*They reside underneath Mt. Ebott now.

*Legend has it that the mountain is cursed and that those who climb it…

Footsteps, a lone tree root, and a long fall…

* **N E V E R**

* **C O M E**

* **B A C K…**


	2. CH. 01 (A Human Falls)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so... It begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND IT BEGINS! HAH! This is so exciting! Just to let you guys know though, I'll be leaving around small hints about some... let us say past, events. 
> 
> I'm super excited to explore the lore behind this AU hahaha =) I bet you guys won't see it coming!

* _It's dark in here..._

* **....**

* _Chara? What’s happening-_

* _Chara, I’m so scared-_

* **You tried to call for help.**

*......

* **But Nobody Came =)**

A flash of white engulfs the world and-

-0-

Frisk woke up with a start feeling as though her soul was being ripped out of her body. The little girl bolted upright desperately gasping for fresh air as her memories ( _ were they…? _ ) flooded back in painfully. 

_ Fear clawing at her heart, a sense of desperation and hopelessness, an imposing mountain, a lone tree root, a strange sense of weightlessness, and then…  _ **_Nothing_ ** _. _

The child felt her stomach churn violently as she attempted to take deep, calming breaths and silently began to weep. Everything hurt and she was so so scared- what’s going on? Where was she? A dark feeling of terror gripped her soul in an inky, imposing, grip, and Frisk felt helpless.

The 10-year-old finally began wiping at her eyes (after sitting in the dark for what seemed like hours) and tried to take stock of her surroundings. It looked as if she was in.. a cave? A cave that barely had any light in it despite the gigantic hole that made up most of the ceiling.

Was it night time already?

Frisk frowned slightly and then sniffed some more. At least, while she couldn’t see much more in the inky (almost pitch black) darkness of the cave, she didn’t feel any… extreme physical pain. Whatever she had fallen on must have been kind of... Soft? Not like a pillow but soft enough that it managed to break her fall. The child silently brushed her fingers on the ground and blinked slightly as what felt like thousands of soft feathers gently caressed her hand.

The 10-year-old stared silently at the ground (a visage of something(s) gold becoming more and more visible as her eyes began adjusting to the dark) feeling lost. What could she do now? Scream for help? Try to climb out? Explore?

No… That wouldn't work. Almost no one comes within a 50-mile radius of Mt. Ebott (if only because of the Urban Legends surrounding the area) so even if she attempted to cry for help, no one will hear her.

Wherever she was, she was completely and utterly alone. 

_ Nobody will come to save her. _

Frisk bit her lip slightly and rubbed her sweater-clad arms. She had no choice but to get up and explore ( _ there was no way she'd be able to climb out of the cave she found herself in, not in this dark.) _

The child exhaled softly and began to smile as the familiar feeling of DETERMINATION filled her with warmth. This should prove to be a fun adventure.

\---

The void is silent. A voice like chiming bells echoes in the throes of the darkness.

**_*You secretly still worry about starving to death._ **

Then silence once more.

\---

Frisk blinked and looked around. Was it her or did someone just… speak?

Swallowing slightly and cautiously rising to her feet, Frisk winced as her legs burst with an annoying (and vaguely painful) sensation of pins and needles. The little child stumbled slightly and fell back on her butt as her numb legs failed to carry her. 

She huffed slightly in irritation and waited for the annoying sensation in her legs to subside before trying again. 

Carefully threading her fingers through the soft cushioning under her, Frisk began to push herself up.

Until something hard and rough met her right palm. Frisk felt her mouth twist in confusion and immediately aborted any movement in favor of slowly closing her fist around the object. She tried to take a glimpse of it through the dark but couldn't make out anything other than an irregular, thin shape. 

Frisk wrinkled her nose, unimpressed by what her eyes saw, and felt the thing a little bit more. 

Oh…

It was a wooden stick.

…

\--- 

_***...** _

_***You are not sure what to do with this knowledge**_.

\---

Frisk startled and looked around once more. There was that voice again! What was going on? 

She gulped silently when nothing else happened and slowly looked back at the stick in her hand. Should she take it or….? 

Frisk felt her vision go dark for a moment and immediately went in high alert. What just hap-! 

_***You found the wooden stick.** _

_***Will you equip it?** _

_**Yes. No.** _

A squeak of terror escaped her mouth as a bar of some sort appeared before her eyes. Frisk frowned in confusion and no small amount of fear and felt her eyes widening. What was that? 

Slowly, unable to help her curiosity and reading the writing on the bar, Frisk gently tapped the word 'Yes.' and waited to see what would happen, flinching back cautiously (just in case the thing lashed out or something).

The white words immediately disappeared and were, instead, replaced by more (you guessed it) words!

_***You equipped the wooden stick!** _

Then the bar dissolved all together leaving Frisk to dwell in both a strange sort of silence and transparent darkness (as opposed to the opaque darkness that surrounded the bar). 

Frisk blinked in surprise and looked at the stick in her hand in slight suspicion. 

Ultimately though, the 10-year-old girl shrugged and clambered to her feet. Maybe she'd get a better idea of what was going on if she explored the cave she fell in. Maybe even see if it would lead to somewhere (or if there was even a way out). 

The young child walked in a straight line, holding the stick out in front of her just like a blind person would a walking cane. 

Surprisingly the floor was nice and disturbingly even. Not even a little bump that is characteristic of even the most polished of floors was present. 

It was… odd.

Finally, the stick hit something hard. Perking up, Frisk carefully felt the wall, noting how smooth to the touch it was even, and slowly looked around. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the dark setting so seeing things over here wasn't all that difficult anymore. 

Looking slightly to the left, Frisk squinted slightly as she spotted something. Carefully moving towards it, the young child waved her stick around and was surprised to feel… air. 

Huh.

Cautiously, she walked through what appeared to be a doorway and blinked as a slightly dim (but still well lit) room met her. 

She blinked, feeling stunned, and moved forward again, taking in the sight of the strange new place she found herself in. 

Walking forward, not paying attention to her surroundings anymore, Frisk felt her feet crunch through something soft. Stopping slightly, the child looked down at her feet and was startled to find a small field of golden flowers crushed under her scruffy shoes. 

Feeling slightly bad, Frisk backpedaled away from the field and started to move around it.

Until…

"Oh!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that's a wrap! I hope you guys noted the differences I made from canon cuz that? That's gonna be relevant later! I hope you liked this chapter ehehe! 
> 
> The next one should be longer! Hopefully...


	3. CH. 02 (THE KEEPER OF THE RUINS)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> =)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back! This thing took a while (mainly because it didn't want to be written) but hey! It's here now!
> 
> That said, I was planning on making this longer (and following canon to a T) but neither if those things happened so.... :-) I hope you enjoy this! 
> 
> This is my own twist on canon (just in case you find the arrangement of the rooms slightly different).
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

"Oh!"

Frisk felt her muscles tense as she whipped her head towards the source of the noise, the only thought in her head being that  _ she was not alone _ .

That's when she really and truly felt her insides freeze and the unbearable, stifling, horror take over.

A monster (that oddly resembled a goat? maybe not..) was standing there. It (or was it she??? The voice sounded feminine) was looking at her with an odd expression on its animalistic face and then, it slowly started making its way towards her. 

"Oh dear! You must have fallen in! Do you require any assistance?"

Frisk whimpered almost silently as she backpedaled rapidly. The words might have sounded nice, benevolent even, but Frisk  _ knew _ there was a hidden motive to it. No one ever wanted to truly  _ help _ . Not without something in return. 

She continued moving back slowly but, unfortunately, didn't manage to get too far before her foot got caught on a stray vine (or at least she  _ thought _ it was a vine).

Feeling the dull pain coming from her butt, Frisk hissed (momentarily forgetting the monster headed towards her) and rubbed the aching area. The young girl felt tears of frustration prick at her eyes but refused to cry. 

'Crying gets you  _ no where _ in life Frisk.'

The 10-year-old sniffed as the voice of her caretaker echoed in her head. Frisk wanted nothing more from life than safety and security. 

Why did she always end up in such situations?

Feeling rather than seeing the shadow looming over her, Frisk clenched her eyes shut and automatically shielded her head with her arms.

She didn't know what she was expecting, (pain, agony, maybe even unconsciousness) but she certainly didn't expect a gentle voice and a soft brush on her shoulder.

"Are you alright my child? Do you need any help?"

The girl slowly opened her eyes to meet the monster's own, and grimaced slightly at the closeness of the (now confirmed) monster lady. Up-close, the 'woman' definitely did resemble a goat but she also… didn't.

True, the ears, the white fur, and the cute little tiny horns were all characteristic of an Anglo-Nubian goat (she read it in a book), but that's where all the similarities ended.

The woman (for the lack of a better term) had a, respectfully, gigantic body and her paws looked nothing like how a goat's hoof should. That said, even her facial features didn't really resemble a goat's! Sans the snout (and even THAT was a bit of a stretch), her face looked almost… human, with a strange twist to it. 

Her irises were a strange, reddish color and her eyes were wider than what was typical of any human (or animal) you'll see. 

Her face was oddly gentle though, which is strange for something that looked so unnatural and majestic at the same time, and Frisk couldn't help but feel… safe around her. 

"..ild? My child? Can you hear me?"

Frisk blinked in surprise as she spotted the monster's hand ghost over her shoulder to gain her attention. The girl looked at the monster lady as Frisk slowly processed her question and then nodded slightly. 

The lady didn't look too convinced, "I see. Well, how about we get you off the ground? Sitting like this can't be too comfortable." The lady said instead and extended her hand to Frisk. 

Frisk hesitated for only a moment but decided to trust in her gut. The lady seemed nice, as sceptical of her as she was, and Frisk decided that her situation couldn't possibly get worse…

She gently clasped the woman's hand and smiled hesitantly as the lady beamed and pulled her to her feet. 

"Good job my child!" The lady crooned gently before suddenly looking bashful, "Oh where are my manners! My name is Toriel," The now-named Toriel smiled in an indulging manner, "I am the keeper of the Ruins!"

Frisk's confusion must have been apparent on her face because not even a second later, Toriel elaborated, "Or rather, the place you have found yourself in."

Frisk nodded in understanding and slight discomfort. She wasn't exactly sure if she  _ should  _ be trusting a monster ( _ 'Never, ever, trust a monster children.  _ **_Never._ ** _ ' _ ) but so far, Toriel had been strangely… nice. 

It was weird. 

"Come my child, I'll guide you through the machinations of this area."

Frisk considered her options…

And nodded firmly. Might as well follow the person who knew this place best.

If push comes to shove… she'll deal with the consequences. 

Toriel grinned happily and offered her hand to Frisk. Frisk hesitated for a moment before offering her own hand and clasping it with the monster lady's. 

Thus began her journey with the Keeper of the Ruins.

-0-

Frisk walked silently, hand in hand with Toriel, as the goat lady prattled about everything and nothing. Frisk wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying, too busy feeling  _ fascinated  _ with everything she was seeing. 

Frisk can positively say that she has  never  seen a place as  _ pretty  _ as the 'Ruins' (as Toriel called it) and, honestly? She couldn't help but feel in awe of  _ everything _ . 

The fallen (but still  _ elegant _ ) purple pillars, the overgrowth of vines and red (not fall red, but rather blood red) leaves that consumed every wall, and most importantly, the ancient inscriptions that could be found every now and then. 

(Frisk found the translation bar that appeared above the inscriptions rather disturbing, but she'll deal with that later when she has more time to herself.)

"My child! Are you listening?"

Frisk started and sheepishly grinned at the monster lady, who didn't look too angry. In fact, she almost looked…  _ amused  _ if anything.

"Sorry…" Frisk mumbled, finally speaking for the first time since her fall.

Toriel blinked in surprise, before a warm smile graced her face, "Do not be, child, I'm not upset."

Frisk blinked at the taller lady, "You're not?" 

Toriel chuckld, "No, I'm not," She answered gently, then looked a bit stern, "Though, I'd appreciate it if you do listen now. I have some important things to say,"

Frisk nodded sagely. 

Toriel looked at her pointedly for a few seconds before smiling softly, "Alright then, my child-"

"Um, excuse me lady?" Frisk interrupted her meekly.

Toriel blinked in slight surprise before smiling invitingly, "Yes dear?"

"Umm, can you- can you call me… Frisk?" The little girl stuttered softly. 

"Oh!" Toriel covered her mouth, "Pardon me my ch- I mean Frisk," The 'Goat' lady smiled sheepishly, "I forgot to ask for your name when I first met you. Silly me!"

"Oh, it's… fine, really." Frisk smiled at the lady hesitantly, not sure if she had overstepped her boundaries. 

Toriel gently tilted her head, "That may be so," Toriel crooned gently as she crouched to look Frisk in the eye, "However, that does not mean that it was any less rude of me to not ask you about yourself. I apologise for that." 

Frisk blinked as her train of thought screeched to a halt. She was really adamant on distrusting Toriel, but now? She simply  _ can't _ .

After all, how can you distrust, or even  _ dislike _ , the first person to be this  _ nice  _ to you after your parents? 

Toriel, not only contradicted every human legend there is about monsters, she also contradicted every single person Frisk has ever had the displeasure of interacting with in her life. 

"Frisk? Are you alright, child? Did I say something wrong?"

Frisk was shaken out of her stupor (for the third time!) by Toriel's motherly voice. She blinked in slight confusion before she registered a slight feeling of wetness of her cheeks. 

The girl felt she mouth fall open with the realization that she had started crying and resolutely rubbed her eyes as heat overtook her face.

"Y-yeah! I'm fi-" She went to answer before she was interrupted by Toriel's 'no-nonsense' expression.

"Child, if I said anything that upset you, then you should tell me. I don't want to make the same mistake again." Toriel murmured softly.

"It's just-" Frisk stuttered slightly, "just…"

The goat lady blinked in confusion, "Just..?" She encouraged gently.

Frisk hesitated, "You're just- too nice!" The 10-year-old's eyes widened in slight embarrassment at her own words and covered her mouth in shock. 

Meanwhile, Toriel was staring at her in confusion, "Too nice?" The monster lady murmured, "Child how am I being too nice?"

Frisk shook her head, "You won't understand…"

Toriel raised an eyebrow, "I believe I should be the judge of that." She admonished her sternly. 

Frisk frowned slightly, "It's just…" The girl paused slightly and scuffed her shoe on the ground, "No one on the… the…" Frisk trailed off as she realized that she didn't know what the monsters called the human world. 

"Surface?" Toriel filled in softly.

"Yeah! The Surface! No one on the surface has ever been this nice to me! No one but my parents…." Frisk trailed off sadly. 

Toriel covered her mouth in shock, "No one?" She murmured brokenly.

Frisk shook her head, "No one…"

Toriel's expression suddenly shifted to something… firm. Something…

Determined. 

Frisk felt something in her chest pulse gently and gasped slightly as she spotted something golden behind Toriel. 

Toriel, on the other hand, didn't notice Frisk's plight as she stood up from her crouch, "Child- Frisk," Frisk looked at the old woman, her attention momentarily stolen by the resolute tone in the woman's voice, "I will  _ ensure  _ that no one here ever treats you in the same way the people on the surface did,"

Frisk's eyes widened slightly as something transparent swirled around Toriel's body, "I promise you that, so long as you are in the Ruins,  _ no one  _ will be allowed to treat you in any way other than fairly." 

The soft green swirl faded away, leaving Frisk feeling both protected and safe and  _ wanted _ . The child swallowed softly and nodded, touched by the old woman's words. 

Toriel smiled gently, "Alright then. Now that we settled this, how about I guide you through the Ruins?"

Frisk silently trailed behind Toriel, deciding to forgo holding the lady's and in favor of exploring the area at her own pace ,"Is it alright if you tell me a bit more about the Ruins?" Frisk asked softly.

Toriel smiled enthusiastically in return, "Why of course my child! Follow me." And with that, the goat woman disappeared into a door up a strange set of stairs. 

Frisk smiled at the lady's back…

Before quickly approaching the golden light she spotted earlier. It resembled a strange sort of star (maybe even a sparkle) and Frisk, deciding that it was harmless enough, gently poked it.

Suddenly her vision went dark, and the same bar from earlier (when she picked up the stick) appeared in front of her. 

***The resolute tone of Toriel's voice and the magic behind her vow fills you with** **DETERMINATION** **.**

**Save Return**

Frisk frowned in confusion before, hesitantly, tapping the 'Save' option. A strange tingling sensation filled her body as the following words appeared on the bar.

***THE RUINS - SAVED**

Frisk tilted her head in confusion before Toriel's voice called out to her.

"Coming!" Frisk yelled back as everything faded back in. The child ran up the stairs and through the door, pondering the hidden meaning behind the strange bar. 

-0-

"Oh! There you are, dear!"

Frisk smiled sheepishly at the older lady, "Sorry. I got distracted by something." The little girl answered truthfully. 

Toriel smiled softly, "It's alright, Frisk. Now let me introduce you to something that you'll encounter often in the Underground-"

"The Underground?" Frisk asked in confusion.

Toriel palmed her face in exasperation, "Right. Pardon me. I forgot to tell you."

Frisk wrinkled her nose in confusion, "Tell me what?"

Toriel grinned apologetically at her, "The Ruins isn't the only area that monsters inhabit,” She admitted, “In fact, we have three other areas that make up the entirety of the ‘Underground’.”

Frisk rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “So.. It’s like…. Cities?”

It was Toriel’s turn to blink in confusion, “Cities?” She asked curiously.

Frisk wanted to facepalm about her own stupidity but held in the urge, "They're like… bigger towns I guess?" The 10-year-old explained.

Toriel's perked up, "Oh I see! Then you are correct, my child, we do, in fact, have four cities that make up the Underground! Or perhaps we have one city and the rest are small towns?" Toriel mumbled the last part to herself (but Frisk still heard her anyway) and then smiled at Frisk. 

"Well, as I was saying, despite each… area of the Underground having its own culture and customs, there is ONE thing that you'll find in almost every area."

The old woman gestured at a giant set of neatly aligned stones, "Puzzles!"

Frisk blinked, "Puzzles?"

Toriel nodded happily, "Mhm!"

Frisk squinted slightly at the giant arrangement in the ground, "I don't see a puzzle though…" She muttered.

Toriel chuckled to herself, "I'm not sure how  _ advanced  _ humans became," 'just like the rest of the human society' was left unsaid but clearly heard, "However, us in the Underground like to do things… a little bit more old-school."

Toriel then proceeded to step on each stone in a certain order before flicking a golden switch on the wall parallel to it, "Come with me, Frisk. I'll explain a bit more about the Ruins."

Frisk smiled slightly before running to join Toriel by the door, "What about the rest of the areas in the Underground?"

Toriel smiled mischievously, "I'll try to…  _ expand  _ on that to the best of my ability," She snorted before giggling. 

Frisk looked at her in a loss for a second…

Before groaning. 

"That was awful!" She pouted as Toriel roared with laughter and went through the doorway.

"I know!" Toriel's voice called back distantly. 

Frisk huffed and moved to join Toriel beyond the doorway. 

She didn't even bother to hide her smile this time.

-0-

Frisk blinked at how… long this room was. Toriel was standing by the weird looking river before smiling softly at Frisk. 

"This long corridor contains a lot of puzzles. However, for the sake of simplicity, I went ahead and marked each switch you'll have to flip in order to pass this room!"

Frisk nodded resolutely. 

Toriel grinned at Frisk, "I'll wait for you at the end of the corridor. However, you need to pay attention to my words as I'll be giving you more background about the Ruins and its inhabitants."

Frisk nodded once more and felt DETERMINATION swirl in her body.

Toriel moved ahead, talking as she went. 

"Shortly after the monsters were sealed in the Underground, which was a barren land at the time, the king issued two high priority objectives that were to be completed within 2 weeks."

Frisk began moving through the corridor. 

"One: The construction of 4 emergency settlements was to begin almost immediately,"

Frisk carefully approached the first labeled switch and, cautiously, flipped it. Toriel beamed with pride from the other side of the corridor.

"Two: He gathered all the scientists in the Underground and tasked them with finding a self sustaining power source."

Quickly running over to the second switch, Frisk looked over at Toriel, who was watching her serenely, and then flipped the switch.

"Food was one of the main priorities as well, but since monsters do not require food as much as humans do, it was foregone in favor of completing the two high priority tasks. In fact, a monsters body can last all of 3 weeks without sustenance though it is not usually wise to do so,"

Arriving at the final switch, Frisk didn't hesitate and quickly flipped it. Immediately, a strange clicking sound was heard along with a small round of applause.

"Great job Frisk!" Toriel congratulated, "I'm proud of you my child!"

Frisk blushed in embarrassment, and tucked a stray brown strand behind her (yellow) ear. 

"Thank you," She murmured embarrassedly.

Toriel chuckled fondly, "You're quite welcome dear. Now, come along, we still need to go through many other rooms." She offered her hand to Frisk and (this time) the young child didn't hesitate to take it.

-0- 

"Now, to resume our previous… discussion." Toriel stated calmly.

Frisk looked up at Toriel curiously just as the lady began to speak. Slowly she let go of the monster lady's hand, opting to walk on her own.

That was her first mistake. 

Slowing down to a halt, Frisk paused in front of an ancient text, curiously reading the translation in the black bar that (automatically) appeared. 

That was her second mistake.

**_*The western room is the eastern room's blueprint._ **

Frisk was so engrossed in reading, she didn't notice Toriel's voice fading away into silence.

Nor did she notice the monster approaching her from the shadows.

_ "H u m a a n…." _

Frisk froze as shock and horror took over her body. Fear gripped her heart as she struggled to breathe, and slowly… she turned around.

Only to come face to face with a monster that strangely resembled a frog…

And a whole option menu laid in front of her in the opaque blackness. 

***Froggit attacks you!**

**FIGHT ACT ITEM MERCY**

Frisk started at the options in front of her…

And then screamed in mortal terror. 

-0-

"...-e Ruins was the first to be constructed. The monsters who live in the Ruins, or rather dimly lit areas…." Toriel continued speaking, oblivious to what was happening.

Only for a piercing scream to fill the air around her. 

Feeling her muscles go rigged with anxiety at the terror ridden scream, Toriel whipped to look behind her…

Only to see nothing.

"FRISK!" She yelled, feeling worried and immensely guilty as she ran towards the site of the scream.

Quickly summoning a fireball, Toriel skidded to a halt behind Frisk just as the Froggit attempted to make the first move.

She glared at the creature, not really wanting to hurt it, and placed a paw on Frisk's shaking shoulder.

The Froggit, taking the hint, quickly scampered away leaving behind the Keeper of the Ruins and the child he had terrified into tears.

Dispelling the fireball, Toriel kneeled in front of Frisk and began inspecting the sniffling child. 

"Oh dear! Frisk, are you alright? That monster didn't hurt you, did he?" Toriel fussed as she gently took Frisk's face in her hands.

The little girl was so terrified, she was barely able to see straight. It seemed that the excitement of the day was getting to her. 

"Alright," Toriel nodded to herself and carefully straightened up, "That's enough excitement for one day," She said as she carefully began to scoop the human girl into her arms. 

Frisk shifted slightly in her arms, "Nooo," The young child moaned, "I still want to explo-"

"I can take you here tomorrow child," Toriel interrupted sternly, "But as of right now, you're in no state to move much less walk through the expanse of this entire place. I will not allow you to exhaust yourself for the sake of an adventure," 

Frisk tensed slightly, "But-"

Toriel's tone softened slightly as she patted the child's auburn hair (reminiscent of her deceased child's own brown locks) and started walking again, "I promise you Frisk, I will take you back here to explore some more, and I'll give you even more background about the Underground, however you need to rest your body. It's for your own well-being, child."

Frisk fell silent and didn't speak the entire way to Toriel's house. Toriel assumed that was because Frisk was mad at her, but (it turns out later) the young human child had fallen asleep not long after she made her protest.

Toriel smiled as she gently tucked the child into bed and kissed her forehead. This child was already so brave and ready to take on the world. However she was still just a child…

Just…

Just as Chara and Asriel had been. 

The old woman carefully rise from Frisk's bedside and then gently closed the door behind her. Slowly, Toriel began making her way to the kitchen. 

Frisk would need to eat when she wakes up after all, and a Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie sounded like a real treat for the fallen human. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I did a little bit of world building this chapter and boy! It took a while! More world-building next chapter along with us getting more intimate with the Ruins' machinations! 
> 
> CH. 03 (THE RUINS) is going to be a lot more difficult, won't it?
> 
> Peace!
> 
> JH.exe is officially out!


	4. CH. 03 (BACKGROUND OF FORGOTTEN SOCIETY PT. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my! Has it been over a month already?!? Man I've been so swamped with school work, and the stresses of school in general, that I totally lost interest to write for a while! 
> 
> Much apologies. 
> 
> Anyway, here I hope you enjoy this chapter! Rather short considering the amount of time it took, but a friend of mine had said that the world-building in it was quite heavy sooooo yeah. 
> 
> Didn't want to overload a chapter with information! 
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoy :-)

When Frisk opened her eyes, it was to a dark ceiling. The young child's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she slowly sat up.

Where  _ was  _ she? 

Frisk looked around the place for any defining features and was surprised to find herself in a bedroom. 

In fact, she was lying on a bed. An insanely comfortable bed, but a bed nonetheless. 

Frisk frowned even more as she slowly got up from the bed (she felt bad about leaving the sheets rumpled but she really didn't have time to do them) and started moving around the room. She couldn't find a light switch anywhere,  _ but _ , she DID find a pie lying in the middle of the room.

As she slowly reached out to grab it, Frisk's vision went dark (again) and she was met with the same glowing black bar from earlier.

***A Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie**

***Will you take it?**

**Yes No**

Frisk sighed heavily and picked 'Yes', watching with slight intriguement as the pie faded away. 

"Huh?" She mumbled to herself as she got up, "Weird." 

The 10-year-old decided to make her way to the door (there was nothing but old and slightly dusty toy boxes along with empty wardrobes in here anyway) and opened it to step outside. 

The hallway was brightly lit (even more than the entirety of the Ruins) and yellow. So much so that Frisk had to squint slightly in order to see properly.

When her eyes adjusted to the light (and stopped hurting) Frisk was surprised by how…  _ yellow _ , the whole place was…

The wallpaper was in varying shades of yellow, the ceiling was yellow, and the carpet was, you guessed it, yellow!

The young child could feel her face fall into a deadpan as she closed the door behind her. Yellow. Of course. Her least favorite color and this place was ALL made of it. 

She gently walked across the expanse of the hallway, surprised by how soft the carpet was to her bare feet, and made her way into a weird room (she assumed it was the reception based on how the doorless door frame was positioned and the purple setting beyond it) with a strange set of stairs that led to… somewhere. 

She continued walking until she reached the living room. There she found Toriel sitting on a plush, brown armchair (with a soft looking yellow throw blanket right behind her back) while reading a book with a brown cover. The old lady was sitting next to the fireplace, which was lit for some reason despite the warm atmosphere of the Ruins, and was going through her book at an alarming pace.

Looking up for a moment, Toriel started as she spotted Frisk (standing awkwardly by the entrance to the living room) and then smiled happily as she set her book aside.

"Why good morning Frisk!" Toriel crooned as she stood up to kneel in front of the girl, "How are you doing today?"

Frisk thought for a moment and was startled to realize that she felt… okay. Her body wasn't hurting in any way and she felt more awake than ever. The scraps and bruises that she had acquired during the fall (and the climb to the mountain) were non-existent by this point. 

Smiling happily, Frisk beamed at Toriel, "I'm feeling wonderful!" She exclaimed with glee as she giggled slightly. 

Toriel chuckled in return and rubbed her giant paw on Frisk's head, "Well, I'm glad!" The old lady smiled, "I took some liberty to use a small amount of healing magic on you, so any injuries, or mild illnesses, that you had acquired through the past couple of days should be gone by now." She explained softly. 

Frisk blinked in confusion, "Healing magic?"

Toriel quirked a slight eyebrow at the confusion in the child's tone, "Yes. Healing magic," She tilted her head slightly, "Do you humans not use it?"

Frisk frowned, "Humans didn't use magic for at least 6 centuries,"

Toriel's eyes widened, "Oh is that so?" Toriel mumbled in shock.

Frisk nodded.

The lady covered her cheek, "My," She started softly, "Things have really changed in the past 10 centuries didn't they?" 

Frisk shrugged, "We don't really learn a lot of monsters or magic in school," She said, "We only learn very vague details about the Monsters vs. Humans War and the last time we ever documented the usage of magic."

"I see," Toriel mumbled as she straightened up from her crouch and then smiled at Frisk, "Well, would you like to learn more?" 

Frisk considered for a moment… before nodding enthusiastically. She was very curious about how this strange, new world worked. 

Toriel beamed at her, looking as though Frisk had somehow given her the world by making that simple gesture, "Splendid!" The old lady exclaimed as Frisk felt her face stretch into a breathless smile at the woman's enthusiasm, "Come then, my child, make yourself comfortable!" 

The Keeper of the Ruins lead Frisk into the living room and watched as the child plopped on the floor in a cross-legged position. Toriel looked surprised for a moment at the blatantly strange action before looking thoughtful. The woman then shrugged to herself and dropped to the ground right in front of Frisk. 

"Well, that is certainly surprising," Toriel murmured, "I'd thought for sure that you'd choose the armchair."

Frisk looked confused, "Isn't that rude though?"

Toriel tilted her head, "Rude, how, my child?"

Frisk shrugged, carefully disregarding the fact that Toriel wasn't using her name, "I dunno. I mean, the chair is yours and you're older than me, sooo…." 

Toriel frowned, "But you're the guest dear, shouldn't you have a say in where you sit?"

Frisk hm'ed softly, swaying from side to side childishly, "Weeeellll… if it.. incoven- inconvin- uhhhh" She scrunched her eyebrows thoughtfully, struggling slightly with the pronunciation. 

"Inconvenience, dear." Toriel smiled gently. 

Frisk snapped her fingers (but it didn't make much of a sound considering that she was still so young-) and grinned, "Yeah! If it inconveniences the person who is hosting me, then it's pretty rude to choose the most comfortable area to sit on!"

Toriel blinked (stunned at the clarity of Frisk's statement) and then broke out in a huge smile, "Oh my! That's the first time anyone has ever given me that answer! So young too! Well done, Frisk!"

Frisk blushed, the color on her cheeks being pretty prominent considering her unusual complexion, and ducked her head. 

"Anywho," Toriel continued, choosing to respectfully ignore Frisk's embarrassment in favor of having a discussion, "I do hope that the floor is providing you with enough comfort. You are more than welcome to sit on my lap if you want to!" The old woman smiled in an indulging manner. 

Frisk couldn't help but feel stunned. Just when she thought Toriel couldn't get any nicer, the woman goes and says this. Honestly,  _ what  _ kind of world did she fall in where people are so warm and welcoming?

"Umm, n-no thanks!" Frisk stammered in slight embarrassment, "The floor is pretty comfortable actually. Better than some of the furniture I had up at the surface-" Frikss cut herself off, face growing hotter with the realization that she's rambling.

Toriel looked on in a sympathetic manner, "I see… well, I'm glad. The dining table is mostly for decoration, otherwise I would have offered it to you."

Frisk smiled softly at the woman, "It's fine, really," The young girl replied bashfully, "So, we were going to talk about the history of this place?" 

Toriel perked up even more than she had at the beginning, "Indeed, my child! What do you wish to learn about first? There are so many things I could tell you about the Underground that I can't find it in myself to choose!"

"Hmmm," Frisk scratched her chin thoughtfully, "I already know when the 'Human Monster War' took place and I got enough background about the establishment of the Underground during our walk yesterday, so… maybe we can talk about the culture? Frisk suggested hesitantly with an undertone of excitement. 

Toriel looked as excited as Frisk felt, "Culture it is then! Let us start with the 'Ruins' then!"

Frisk leaned forward, bouncing in her place.

"First, let us establish a few key things: 1) There are many species of monsters, but very few are… ‘exact’ for the lack of a better word," Toriel began, her voice and tone adjusted to fit the circumstances, “In fact, most of the ‘exact’ monster species in the Underground have a pack mentality and usually resemble each other to the point where they are practically clones." 

Frisk tilted her head curiously, but didn't comment. 

"The other monsters, we'll call them average monsters, are mostly monsters who…. Are more  _ humanoid _ in their mannerisms and speech. Those monsters are rare in the Ruins and are the most common in Snowdin and Hotland." 

Frisk's eyebrow wrinkled with slight confusion, "Are Snowdin and Hotland monster cities?' She asked slowly. 

Toriel grinned apologetically, "Yes. I apologise for not informing you earlier my child, but I was hoping to establish some of the more important basics."

Frisk smiled back, "Oh no, it's completely fine! I was just curious."

Toriel gently rubbed Frisk's head, and Frisk felt something warm in her chest at the fond gesture. 

"Now let us continue," Toriel said as she drew back her hand, much to Frisk's disappointment, "The Ruins is mostly famous for the 'pack-monsters' as they are mostly dominated by them. As such most of the Ruins' culture revolve around puzzles and riddle solving. You'd have noticed on our walk yesterday that most of our oath had at least one or two puzzles. That's the doing of the 'pack-monsters' here." 

Toriel paused before looking bashfully at the child seated in front of her, "Oh, I apologise," The woman muttered in slight shock, "I went on a slight tangent there didn't I? You understand everything I just told you right? I hope I didn't overwhelm you with all that information!" 

Frisk nodded carefully, going over everything Toriel said in her head.

"Okay…" The young girl muttered, "I think I understand so far." She stated cheerfully, hoping to reassure Toriel that she was not overwhelmed. Honestly. She wasn't. 

Toriel smiled in slight relief, "I'm glad"

They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Frisk nudged Toriel encouragingly. 

"I'm ready to continue now." The young girl stated, DETERMINATION filling her body with an old, comforting warmth.

Toriel smiled, "All right. Let us continue then," She took a deep breath as her smile grew strainex, "You do… remember what happened yesterday, don't you, my child?"

Frisk pursed her lips slightly, "Yeah…"

Toriel's expression went sour for a split second, one that was enough for Frisk to notice, before she attempted a feeble smile, "I do apologise for not noticing earlier," The woman stated in a despondent manner despite the smile on her face, "Maybe then that Froggit wouldn't have scared you as much as it did…"

Frisk frowned, "It's not your fault," The girl insisted, "I was the one who slowed down to read that sign! If anything it was my fault!" Her determined expression turned confused, "Is… Froggit the name of the monster that…. Attacked me?" She asked, confused.

Toriel blinked, "Yes, though Froggit is mostly the name of the species, not the monster itself. Also," The old lady leaned forward slightly, "Read? My child I didn't realize you were able to read ancient text!"

Frisk's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Toriel's eyes widened (as a look of realization entered them) before his face grew tired and she shook her head in slight exasperation, "Let me guess," She sighed, long and tired, "You saw a black bar with the translation right above the text didn't you?" She muttered in slight resignation.

Frisk blinked in shock as her brain sluggishly registered the monster's words…

"H-how did you know about that?!" Frisk blurted before covering her mouth in surprise. 

Toriel smiled tiredly, something tired and exasperated glinting in her eyes, "Call it a mother's intuition."

-0-

That night, Frisk laid in bed staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. After Toriel dropped the subject, the two of them engaged in a rather heated conversation about magic and how it affects those in the Underground. 

Apparently the magic behind those strange black bars was rather ambiguous. No one knew about how it worked and  _ why  _ it did such strange things. 

Only one person was known to possess that power but Frisk refrained from asking about them when she noticed the grief-stricken, heart-aching look on Toriel's face.

Frisk flipped on her side to stare at the wall parallel to her bed. It had surprised her how knowledgeable Toriel was about Frisk's predicament, considering how…  _ unique _ it was. 

After all, how many people could see opaque white-lined black bars in equally opaque black backgrounds?

How many people were touched by a strange type of magic that even _monsters_ don't know enough about?

Frisk sighed one last time as her eyes drifted shut and her body eased into the comfort of sleep. 

If her dreams were dominated by a strange sense of purpose and a grinning red-eyed child, well…

It's not like she will remember.

\---

. .

. . .

. . . .

..=)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope it wasn't too short (or heavy) but I'm glad it's finally out! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter! :-)
> 
> Peace!
> 
> JH.exe is officially out!

**Author's Note:**

> Short as hell, I know, but I really wanted to make the first chapter of this story in Undertale's typical, and loveable, style! I hope it worked, hehe!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this short prologue! Next, A Human Falls In!


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